The Laughing Policeman

Late on a cold night, eight passengers and the driver of a municipal bus are gunned down. This begins another excellent police procedural about Martin Beck and his colleagues of the Stockholm Homicide Squad. Once again, Tom Weiner gives a performance that is pitch-perfect for the material. The very different personalities of the squad members are beautifully rendered, as are characters we meet only once or twice--in particular, a detective's wife and the girlfriend of one of the victims. The plot takes several unexpected turns, but Weiner's sure narration is always on key with what is happening. The result is that while we are lost in the emotion of the story, we are never lost amid the action. R.E.K. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine